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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29830893">Still Here</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EthelPhantom/pseuds/EthelPhantom'>EthelPhantom</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ethel's Maribat March 2021 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>DCU, Miraculous Ladybug, The Flash - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Core Four as a Family, Dickinette are still the exasperated parents, Dickinette are the exasperated parents, F/M, Feelings, Light Angst, Maribat March, Past Character Death, Tbh Young Justice in general is a family, warmth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:06:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>754</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29830893</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EthelPhantom/pseuds/EthelPhantom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>Maribat March, Day 3: Warmth</em>
</p><p>For once, Alya does all the talking.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alya Césaire/Wally West, Bart Allen &amp; Tim Drake &amp; Kon-El | Conner Kent &amp; Cassie Sandsmark, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Dick Grayson (implied)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ethel's Maribat March 2021 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2189484</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Maribat March</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Still Here</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So here, have some Walya! I love these dumbasses. Also, I'm trying to get myself used to writing shorter things so I could perhaps update a little more frequently? Instead of feeling like I always have to finish a 2k fic at the very least before I can post?</p><p>Anyhow, I hope you'll enjoy this!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Hi, how are you today?” Alya asks as she sits down on the bench with a slight smile on her face. She’s dressed head to toe in red and yellow, earrings in the form of lightning. When Marinette had seen her outfit for the first time a few months ago, she’d referred to it as ‘lightning sharp’ and laughed when Alya told her that it was terrible — not the outfit, what Marinette said. The outfit itself is great and Alya loves it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As she sets her hand on the bench next to her, she can feel another be lowered down on hers. It is nice. She’s missed this. She misses it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bart ran into the wall today. Again. He said he was trying to get through it but at this rate, we’re not sure if he is going to be able to do that or if he should just change the walls he’s practising on,” she continues, letting out a small laugh. She’s sure Wally’s proud of the teenaged dumbass that is Bart Allen, but then again, who wouldn’t be proud of him? He’s strong, brave, energetic, doesn’t give up easily, went through a ton of traumatic events and yet he manages to be nice to people. It takes some proper strength to be able to maintain that. “In his defence, he only did it once today. Yesterday he ran into the wall thrice in a row before Tim finally convinced him to take a break. It continued after a few hours. I’m not sure how long his skull is going to be able to take it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she unlocks it and opens the photo album, turning the screen a little to the right to present pictures she’s got. “Here, Bart decided that it was a good idea to stuff his face right into the cake. Cassie told him he was a hazard to society. Tim and Kon, without missing a beat, went “And a coward, choose a bigger cake and stuff all of you into it”. It was a mess. Dick and Mari were </span>
  <em>
    <span>so done </span>
  </em>
  <span>when they found the entire training room was covered in cake.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I think Dick was more done because it was the third time this week something like that happened and Mari because they stole her cake batters for it. Yes, batters, in the plural.” Shaking her head fondly at the memory, Alya swipes to the next photo. It’s Bart, Tim, Cassie and Kon all covered in cake, Cassie facepalming. The two spoons in Tim’s hands are one in Bart’s mouth and the other in Kon’s as if they decided to steal his cake, which, considering there is a spoon sticking out of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tim’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>mouth, might have just been the truth and an act of revenge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next picture is the walls of the training hall covered in cake and Marinette walking right out with her hands thrown in the air as if she gave up on trying to control the children. Perhaps she should know by now that those four refuse to be controlled — especially in situations where it’s not that important such as leisure time at the tower.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Standing up once more, Alya takes a few steps forwards, holding her bag close. “You know, Wally, Bart and Barry miss you. Barry keeps it in control pretty well most of the time, but on missions, he sometimes turns to look at something on his right and is about to call your name before he remembers and his face falls. Bart… well, he was considering running some time back to get you back but gave up when he remembered what happened with Barry back then, you know, the thing you keep calling the Flashpoint.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wind hums in her ears as she tilts her head with a sad smile on her face. “Dick misses you too. He almost beat someone to death when they said something about his fast friend ‘thankfully being gone’.” A pause. It stretches from seconds to what could be minutes. Alya isn’t sure. “We all miss you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>miss you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gods, I wish you were still here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alya sets her hand on the cold gravestone, all the warmth she had in her as she had thought of the memories she and Wally had had before… all this… escaping her, leaving her heart freezing. The stone under her hand is rough and unwelcoming. She hates it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry I never remembered to tell you I loved you enough.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, I hope you enjoyed it!</p><p>I'd love to get to hear your thoughts on this thing!<br/>(Also, blame Totally a Human for this fic, I asked for ideas and they gave me this sorta.)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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